Muhammad in the Bible — Page 21
21 Historical and geographical evidence, therefore, shows that the descendants of Abraham have lived in Arabia. All of them held Mecca and the Ka‘ba in great reverence, and from this it appears that Ishmael first settled in Mecca, and this is the part which, according to both Arab and Old Testament records, is called Paran (or Arabic F ā r ā n). The testimony of the revelation of Isaiah (21:13-17) supports the same view: The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it. This prophetic passage is a picture of the Battle of Badr which took place about a year after the Holy Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina. In this battle the sons of Kedar, the people of Mecca and the territories around, suffered a grievous defeat at the hands of Muslims. Unable to withstand the fierceness of Muslim swordsmen and archers, the Meccans sustained a disgraceful defeat. Mark the words with which the passage begins: “The burden upon Arabia”. Herein Tema and Kedar are respectively spoken of as an Arabian territory and an Arabian tribe. According to this text, revealed seven hundred and fourteen years before, Jesus to the Prophet Isaiah, the descendants of Ishmael lived in the © ij ā z. In short, from whatever side we may approach this question, there is abundant evidence that the Quraish were the descendants of Ishmael and that Paran of the Bible (Arabic F ā r ā n) is the land in which they lived. The manifestation of divine glory that was due to take place from Paran was the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, prophesied by Moses. THE HOLY PROPHET MENTIONED IN HABAKKUK This advent was also prophesied by Habakkuk (3:3-7) six hundred and twenty-six years before Jesus. Thus we have: